A Single Blossom Of Hope
by KKool
Summary: It’s after the 5th year and the students of Durmstrang decide to finish their education in Hogs. Murder’s on the list–specially when one of them is Bellatrix’s daughter. Add a strange new prophecy and it’s a disaster just waiting to happen! First fic!
1. The Prophecy

Disclaimer: Yes, I am J.K. Rowling and this belongs to me.... and you need a strait jacket.

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It's after the fifth year and Harry is ready to forget his pain and start a new year. But when the students of Durmstrang decide to finish their education in Hogwarts their lives are turned upside down. Murder is on the list – especially when one of the students is dear old Bellatrix's daughter. Add a strange new prophecy and romance around the corner and it's a disaster just waiting to happen!!

First fic ever… Please read!!!!! Harry/OC

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In a place where magic exists and reams come true... - No, no. Not Neverland; it's the Hog's Head Inn - two people, whose names we don't know never have and never will, (and even we if did we wouldn't tell you!!) sit in the dark and discuss a frightening prophecy that has the potential to change the world. Nothing out of place about that, is there?

The birth of the chosen one signals,

That the Dark Lord's end is near;

From the ashes a hero will emerge,

Who will put a stop to this reign of fear;

But the single blossom of hope still survives,

Who can your cause raze or rise;

Beware her, your Devil's spawn – powerful and strong,

She will be the cause of your untimely demise.

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A.N. My first ever try at writing a fanfic!!! I have a couple of chapters written so tell me if this interests you enough to read it. Review Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	2. The Day The Sky Cried

Disclaimer: I am still not J.K. Rowling and your still in a therapy!!

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It was a dark, wintry night. The snowflakes fell lightly covering the entire ground knee-deep. The snow decked the trees making the scene look like a picture out of a fairy tale. Couples and families walked down the streets chatting, shopping, or just enjoying the snow, while little kids played around. Christmas was well in its element.

In this festive scene, the young couple, walking past, looked conspicuously out of place. This little neighborhood rarely saw people from the outside, let alone such a striking couple. A tall, dark, handsome man accompanied by a woman with thick, shining dark hair and heavily hooded eyes. They wore rich, colorful robes, the sorts one wore to a fancy dress when dressing as a witch. They both also wore a condescending look, giving the impression that they would rater be anywhere else than in this shoddy little town. Unlike their fellow companions they walked purposefully, towards a small, dingy house at the end if the street. They spoke to no one, not even amongst themselves. The only one of them making any sort of noise was the baby girl in the young women's hands. The baby sneezed as the snow tickled her nose. She shivered as the freezing wind, causing passersby's to scurry home, whipped past. If she could think and form coherent sentences she would doubtlessly be questioning this nocturnal excursion. But since she was yet barely a year old, she had to contend with cuddling close to her mother, getting no answer to her unspoken question. Then again, with a mother like that, she probably wouldn't get an answer to a spoken question either…

"Sorry Ma'am!! Didn't see you" a little boy screamed cheerily, having just bumped into the tall, beautiful woman in his hurry to get home. The woman glared at him and her fingers curled around a wooden stick in her hand. A slight swish, a flash of green and the boy would never reach home. Never more would he wake up early in the morning and rush to the Christmas tree to open his presents. Never again would he clamor for more pudding at the dinner table and sulk when he wouldn't get it. It would be ridiculously easy to kill him. But the man restrained her. "Filthy Mud Bloods" she spat. "Now is not the right time" he whispered back.

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Salena was a doting and sympathetic mother. And in one of her fanciful fits, she named her only daughter Nell, which literally meant 'of the Light'. (To this day Nell still shudders at the reaction of the wizarding community if they ever found out her real name…) A normally sharp woman, she was always politely incredulous whenever school authorities tried to complain about her daughter. So, 25 years before, if someone had told her that her only daughter, who still roamed around in pink skirts and ribbons, would one day grow up to be one of the most celebrated seer's and would be known all over the world as ' The Oracle', she would have laughed. As it is, she died long before the start of her story and her daughter did become the world's greatest Seer. But our story is not about her. Nor is it about her daughter, or the striking couple coming to see her on this dark, wintry night. It is, instead, about the little, sneezing bundle in the lady's hands.

"Why! What a surprise. I wasn't expecting you." said the woman, who opened the door.

Both of them knew that this wasn't true but they let the matter skip. The Oracle was often annoyed when people contradicted her. A short, fat woman with straggly hair and a warty face, she was often called a witch by the neighborhood kids. None of them realized the truth of their statement.

Nobody, not even her faithful clientele were aware of her real name, and she was called, by one and all, The Oracle.

"I know exactly what it is you want." she crooned." What your heart's desire is. You wish to know if she'll be a worthy follower to your cause. Isn't it?

"Yes, Oracle" replied the women eagerly. "Will she serve the master forever? Will she be as loyal as me?"

The Oracle stood on the portico, inviting her visitors to take a seat. She took her time consulting first this book and then that crystal ball. "Show me the girl's palm" she demanded finally. As she stood gazing at the baby's palm her eyes grew misty and her voice suddenly changed. As her voice became gruff and hoarse the couple stared at her in excitement. They knew that they were witnessing a prophecy. A prophecy that could well change the world. As they heard the prophecy, however, their countenance under went a drastic change. "How can this be?" muttered the man. The woman stared at him, to shocked to respond. At that moment the skies burst open releasing a torrent of rain. It seemed as if the skies were rejoicing at the prospect of the defeat of one of the most evil persona of the century. Or maybe it was as horrified as the couple it was at the moment drenching. You never know with skies…

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Two minutes later the Oracle opened her eyes. She shook her hair free of the falling droplets and gestured her visitors into the house. Right then Nellie ( as we would like to call her) was fully aware that she had made a genuine, 25 galleon prophecy, cementing her fame in the Department of Mysteries as the most successful Seer. It was only as she screamed at her servant, Roger, to get them a cup of tea that she realized that, far from the look of wonder that was usually present on people's faces after her prophecies, a look of horror was still fixed on the couple's faces.

"What is it? What did I say?" she asked mystified. She stared at them as they repeated what she'd just prophesied and then let out a scream of despair and fear. "Take her away from here. Bringer of evil. Downfall of our time. Take her away from here before I kill her."

The mother was bewildered. "But she's a baby. What can she do?"

She locked eyes with the tear stricken lady. "It must be done. It must be!!" she hissed. She paused, knowing her words were having no effect. "For the Dark Lord… One cannot be unfaithful to the Dark Lord can one?"

The lady clenched her arm as if she had been burnt. "No… The Dark Lord's cause is more important than anything" she said; as if to convince herself.

"Yes" she said then, in a deathly calm voice. "I must!!!"

The child dozed on complacently; blissfully unaware of what had just occurred. She was unaware of the danger surrounding her and how perilous her near future was to become. How could she have known that one of the seven most important prophecies of the century had just been uttered? A prophecy that revolved around her… a prophecy that would make her life miserable , and a prophecy, that in no uncertain manner, would shape the destiny of not just her, her family and her friends, but also the entire wizarding community.

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Author's Note: News Flash!! Nellie the Oracle just dropped me a hint saying that the one thing that you really want to do... is to hit that Review button right there and tell me if I should stop wasting my time or continue!!!!


	3. Nightly Adventures of an Old Man

A/N : So it's Here!!!! The next chapter!! You should love me for this.. I have a Biology exam tomorrow and I'm updating :D

Disclaimer: Yes I own Harry Potter!! I'm also friends with the ET and dating Johnny Dep.... I'm just that cool ;)

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"I am an old man." he sighed. "Far too old to be sneaking around the Ministry of Magic."

The man in question was tall, thin and very old. He was wearing long robes and his blue eyes, usually sparkling, were now grave and slightly at the moment, 14 years from the day of the fateful prophecy, he was trying to break open a silver door in the Minstry of Magic. Grumbling continuously.

"I should be sitting in my HM's study and getting ready for the next school year. Madame Pomfrey promised me a nice hot cup of hot chocolate. And Phineas and I never really finished our conversation about jokes… What _am_ I doing here??"

But he knew exactly why he was here. He was here to confirm a young lad's ramblings. He could still remember the precise conversation. It ran something like below:

Dumbledore: Pip Pip!!!

Roger: Exactly Professor

Dumbledore: So are you planning on joining the Ministry? That was your career choice if I'm not mistaken.

Roger: Fudge's new regime is driving everyone nuts!!!! He's poking his nose into everything!!!

Dumbledore: Fudge will be Fudge… Though I don't if one should be thankful for that or not!!! But I heard there's a post open in the Department of Mysteries?

Roger: The Department of Mysteries!!! You are joking right??

Dumbledore: I am _not_ joking, Roger," he said, "though, now you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag and a leprechaun who all go into a bar -"

(Interrupting) Roger: The entire idea is a farce. As a kid I worked for one of the greatest Seers, The Oracle. And you should have heard the complete baloney she used to feed her clientele.

Dumbledore: The Oracle? The one who went off her head in the end... she had a great number of Death Eaters in her clientele didn't she?

Roger: Yep… You should have the heard the nonsense she was feeding them!!!

Do you know what she what she was telling them… There was this prophecy that went -

~But this where we came in wasn't it~

Back to the fateful night at the Ministry where our very own Dumbledore (but you already knew that didn't you :D) is looking for evidence to substantiate Roger's tall tales. He was looking for the most important piece of the puzzle. As he stood there peering at the minute handwriting on the prophecies he caught site of a bluish – green glass orb with the 4 names on it. His eyes widened in utter disbelief – "So the boy was right after all !!!!"

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At the Burrow, a week ago

Ginny came down the stairs two at a time to find the entire household poring over the Daily Prophet. They were so engrossed in the day's news that they didn't even respond to Ginny's arrival at the breakfast table.

"Hey! What's up?" asked Ginny in a surprised tone. "Has someone else died? Or has Voldemort been sighted somewhere near, again?"

As news of his return spread, reports of alleged Dark Lord sightings had become widespread. As a rule these reports were more panic than truth and the Order didn't usually concern themselves with them.

"It's about Karkaroff. He's been found dead, explained Fred, looking up from his paper. Murdered in his house, a day before Durmstrang is due to reopen."

"Apparently Durmstrang has to close down now due to the continuous Death Eater threat, Ron added. Dad says that they can't find anyone willing to take up the position"

"So where are the students going to go now? Are they even going to continue their education?" asked Ginny puzzled.

"They get a choice to continue their education in either Hogwarts or Beauxtabus," said Hermione speaking for the first time since Ginny had entered. "I suppose most of them will choose Beauxtabus. After all it is much less anti- Voldemort than us isn't it?"

"Beauxtabas is as much ageenst the Dark Lord as Hogwartz is!" said Fleur indignantly. "and I hope that deez… deez vermin stay away from my school. They will ruin the atmosphere of Beauxtabas."

"Well as long as they stay away from Hogwarts I don't even care where they go!" said Ron prejudicially.

"Come on Ron. Not all of them are like that", said Hermione. "Krum was not fond of Dark Arts… and nor were many of his friends. And Hogwarts… or any school; giving Fleur an irate look, would be glad to have them."

Thankfully Mrs. Weasley walked in at that moment preventing another altercation between Ron and Hermione. Most of the people in the room, the ones returning to Hogwarts at least, were devoutly glad that Krum no longer went to school. Hogwarts wasn't big enough for the three of them.

"Ginny – help me clear up Ron's room! Harry should be arriving tonight."

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Harry stood waiting, in the run down, stone outhouse near Privet Drive. The night was chilly but Harry dare not use his wand to light a fire. Dumbledore wanted him to meet in the house but he didn't think he could stand discussing Sirius's death in front of aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. The wound was still raw and what made matter worse was that he hadn't seen Dumbledore since the night of Sirius's death, end of last term. That was when he had thrashed Dumbledore's study, breaking all his possessions while blaming him for Sirius's death. He had then proceeded to insult him in front of all the portraits in the room. He still was blushing at the memory of his last encounter with his headmaster when a sudden flash lit up the outhouse, and Dumbledore stood before him.

"Good morning, Harry" said Dumbledore in a pleasant voice.

"Good morning Professor", said Harry.

He waited for Dumbledore to say something. Either about the prophecy or Sirius, but Dumbledore just stood staring at him silently.

"You wanted to see me, Professor?" asked Harry, finally.

"Let's go visit an old friend, shall we?"

Later:

They were on their way back Horace Slughorn's house and Dumbledore still hadn't spoken a word about the prophecy or Sirius. It just struck Harry that the headmaster seemed to have a lot on his mind. He kept throwing anxious glances at his watch and finally stopped 50 miles from the Burrow. "Is anything the matter Professor? You seem worried' asked Harry.

Dumbledore pulled out large, snowy white envelope. An envelope that contained no clue from the outside of the earth shattering news it contained.

"Having just received this owl, which I considered extremely important, I decided meeting you extremely vital", replied Dumbledore. "Not wishing to awake unpleasant memories, But it concerns our old friend, Bellatrix."

Harry's heart went cold with fury on hearing that name. "That murderess? Why, what's she done now" said Harry, trying to keep his voice neutral voice.

"Have you heard of her husband?" asked Dumbledore, not answering the question.

Harry dimly remembered Sirius showing him the family tree some time back. It seemed like in another life now. "Well, I do remember Sirius mentioning him but I can't recall his name?" said Harry, puzzled. "Why do we care?

Dumbledore stared at Harry as though wondering how to break it to him. "Bellatrix has a daughter. And she's coming to Hogwarts."

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And there it is!! Please review!!!! I love reading reviews a if you just read it and don't review I have no idea if you liked or I'm just wasting my time......

Review and I may tell you what the girl's name is and if she's their friend or not ;)


	4. Waiting on a deserted corridor

A/N: I knw I haven't updated for - gulp - a year almost! But this is my first year of college and I'm being driven slowly but surely crazy! I'll be a lot faster this time around!

Disclaimer: The day I own HP - You'll read about it in the Daily Prophet.

This is like a small diary entry of Bellatrix's daughter - The next chapter will be longer and will have all of them back in Hogs

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May 24th, 2003

She could literally feel the eyes of all the people in the room on her, hating her with a passion that scared her. She was no stranger to hate. From her childhood hate, envy and pain had been her constant companions. Her only companions. She had hoped that now, after all that had happened, things would be different. But she knew nothing had changed. It was as if a dark abyss had opened in front of her. She could see the edge but couldn't take the fall. She stood fingering the locket around her neck one last time before she gave up. She was going to get nowhere standing outside his office. She sighed and walked away from the room – till tomorrow and its lifeless affairs.

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That's it for now! I love reviews - hint hint - So please make my day :)

If anyone knows how to increase the font size or space between the lines in fanfiction.. Tell me now! S'il vous plait!


	5. Walking on Glass

So... Okay haven't updated in ages. No explanations... Yeah I suck! But college (and Organic Chem!) seem to be taking up so much time it's crazy! You haven't truly dies until you've taken Organic Chemistry!

Also... I've had this ch handwritten for 2 mths now but just chose to write it..

And since I just hopped into the Doctor's TARDIS and have traveled through space and time and now fallen through a crack in the time vortex that has dropped me in an AU - I own Harry Potter! Just not in this universe apparently...

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He sat in Ron's empty room staring intently at the photograph in his hand. It was the one that Moody had showed him all those years ago in Grimmauld Place. He'd asked Moody for a copy of it after Sirius had died. Ron and Hermione hadn't understood his morbid fascination with the past. They thought it would only deepen his existing wounds. What they didn't understand was that he had to know. Had to believe. That there was a time before all this death and destruction -when his parents and Sirius were alive; when they were happy. Usually when he looked at the photograph he'd attempt to trace his parents' facial features. He'd look for himself in them- his face, her eyes, his hair, her smile. He'd try imagining the scene, that one instant of their life when the picture was taken. They looked like they'd just shared an inside joke – the way they were laughing, oblivious to their neighbour's stares. They looked ... alive! That was the only word to describe that moment.

But today not even their happiness could zap him out of his misery.

He'd tried sleeping, but that didn't work either. Neither did eating, Quidditch, or (though he wouldn't admit he tried this) school work. All that he could concentrate on was Dumbledore's words.

"_She's coming here." "She's coming to Hogwarts." She. Hogwarts. Bellatrix's daughter. _

The words kept ringing in his head until he could hear nothing else pounding in his head but a buzz, like a persistent bee. Finally he couldn't take it any longer. Picking up a glass of orange from his bedside table he threw it at the wall in an attempt to drown out the voices. The glass shattered in a million pieces just as the door opened. A few pieces of glass ricocheted of the door frame causing the person who had just entered to flinch in shock.

"Harry? Are you okay?" asked a now panicky Hermione.

"Ya mate... Are you alright?"

Harry glanced at the two of them warily. Even though he had told them everything else that had happened between him and Dumbledore, including the prophecy, Slughorn and his private lessons, he had not told them about all this. No need to worry them more than necessary was the reasoning he had used to reassure himself. Yet he knew the real reason he hadn't told them was because he didn't want them to see how badly he was handling this. It looked like it was a little too late for that though.

"Harry, what's wrong? You've been silently brooding over something ever since you came back from your trip with Dumbledore." said Hermione.

"You know you can you can tell us anything don't you? We're going to be with you all the way Harry, no matter how dangerous it is." added Ron.

Harry's heart swelled looking at his two best friends. Whatever happened this next year, at least he knew he wasn't going to be dealing with it alone. And he knew _something _was going to happen this year. No way could he expect any different from the devil spawn. But first he had some explaining to his friends to do.

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Forty seven minutes and 29 seconds had passed. Harry had just finished recounting everything Dumbledore had told him about the girl to Ron and Hermione.

"He said WHAT? And SHE'S coming...? And he believes? Has Dumbledore finally LOST IT!" asked Ron getting more and more exasperated with every word he uttered. "And how could Dumbledore believe she'd be any different from that cruel bitch she calls mother?"

"Exactly!" started off Harry until he was interrupted.

"Cruel and cold hearted? Like her mother?" How can you judge her when you don't even know her?" snapped Hermione angrily. Both boys stared at her uncomprehendingly.

"You can't be standing up for her?" growled Harry, suddenly furious. "After what happened in the Department of Mysteries? To Sirius?"

"Harry I'm sorry about Sirius too. But that was Bellatrix who killed him. All Bellatrix. If you judge her because of whom she was born as then you're as bad as Malfoy who judges me because I'm Muggleborn."

"But Hermione... those are two completely different... I mean Malfoy's... Malfoy. A pure blood prejudiced git. We're just..."

"Better because we're not pure blood? What about Sirius? He was pure blood too – from the most ancient and pureblood family there was. Is he anything like his family?"

"Don't compare Sirius to her! EVER!" screamed Harry suddenly, startling the two of them into silence. "He was nothing like his parents. He ran away from home remember? Whereas she must have had one of the most pampered and indulgent childhoods possible."

Hermione stood up ashen faced. "I know how much you hate Bellatrix, Harry" she started off shakily. "But all you can tell from this letter is her daughter's name." Nothing about her or her childhood. What if...?"

"I can tell Hermione." insisted Harry. "My instincts are hardly ever wrong and right now my instincts all point to her being exactly, he stressed the word a little, like her mother. As though considering the matter final he sat back down on the bed, the letter Dumbledore had given him explaining everything and the photograph in his hand.

"You may have won over Dumbledore, with your charm and lies" he muttered so quietly that the other two almost didn't realize he was talking. "But there's no way anyone's ever fooling me again. When you try something, and I know you will, I'll be waiting. I'm gonna watching you Aranea Lestrange.

A whiff of smoke from a now burning letter escaped into the air and was immediately blown away by someone exhaling quietly.

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Please, please review and tell me how you thought that was! The good news is I've got the next ch written out already so if you review I'll update sooner :) Or maybe I can convince the Doctor to take you with us...

:) Review! And tell me what you think - even if you hate it :)


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